DENVER, Colo. – In a game that featured 20 lead changes, Greyson Uelmen scored a career-high 30 points to lead UND past Denver by a score of 93-86 in an absolute marathon on Saturday evening. The Hawks improve to 12-12 overall and 6-2 in Summit League play, while Denver drops to 9-13 and 2-5 in conference.

Uelmen was outstanding, especially in the second half, where he dropped 21 of his 30 points, scoring 11 of the teams final 16 points in the final 3:54 to help UND claim its third-straight win. He was 9-of-15 from the field overall.

NoDak led 86-85, when Uelmen delivered the dagger to the Pioneers, hitting a deep, step-back three-pointer with 38 seconds left, to give the Fighting Hawks an 89-85 lead.

It was an ultra-competitive game, with neither team leading by more than seven points. Both teams shot 50.0% from the field and each connected on at least 11-three pointers.

The same four starters from last game were in double figures again, as Eli King (17), Zach Kraft (13) and Garrett Anderson (11) each joined Uelmen with 10 or more points. The Hawks hit 11 three pointers, with Kraft, King and Uelmen each hitting three apiece, combining to go 9-of-15 from behind the arc.

North Dakota led by as many as six in the first half, with an early 11-5 advantage, but the teams were mainly separated by one-possession for a good portion of the frame.

Denver owned a six-point lead in the half, up 43-37 with 3:46 to play, but the Fighting Hawks did not flinch, answering that with an 8-0 run, composed of two free throws from Anthony Smith lll and three pointers each from Anderson and King, to give NoDak a 45-43 lead with 2:15 to play. Denver connected on a triple with 52 seconds in the half, to go into the break with a 46-45 lead. There were 11 lead changes in the first 20 minutes.

UND trailed 51-50 early in the second half, when Kraft went on an 8-0 run of his own, made up of two triples and two free throws in the span of 1:45, to give NoDak its largest lead of the game at 58-51 with 16:34 left.

In this hectic game, Denver came back and jumped in front at the 13:03 mark, gaining a 62-60 lead. Outside of UND tying the game up at 62-62, the Pioneers clung to a lead for the next 9:01 of the game, leading by no more than five points. They had a 76-75 advantage with 4:02 to play, before George Natsvlishvili gave the Fighting Hawks their first lead since the 13:31 mark with a bucket in the paint, to go up 77-76.

Denver answered on the next trip with a bucket, to go up 78-77 at the 3:57 mark. Uelmen and Anderson then scored baskets in the paint, which was followed by one free throw from Uelmen, to give UND an 82-78 lead with 2:15 to play.

Jeremiah Burke from Denver then connected on two free throws, to make it 82-80, UND with 2:05 left. Uelmen scored on a driving basket on the next possession, which was answered by Carson Johnson, who hit a mid-range jumper, to make the score 84-82, Fighting Hawks with 1:39 to play.

Uelmen was then fouled on the next possession and made both free throws, to go up 86-82. Burke from Denver answered that with a three-pointer, with 1:06 left to make it, 86-85, NoDak.

Here is where the clutch gene from Uelmen was officially activated, as the guard hit a deep-step back three-pointer at the end of the shot clock with 38 seconds left, to deliver the dagger. UND went up 89-85.

From there, Denver was forced to play the foul game, as the Fighting Hawks came away with a gritty, 93-86 road victory over the Denver Pioneers.

North Dakota will be back in action on Thursday, for a huge matchup with the second place St. Thomas Tommies in St. Paul at 7 p.m. Coverage will be found on the Summit League Network.

Postgame Notes

• UND moves to 11-7 all-time against Denver, picking up its third-straight win at Hamilton Gymnasium
• The Hawks improve to 5-6 on the road this season, winning three-straight
• North Dakota is now 6-2 in the Summit League, exceeding its win total in conference play from a year ago
• Uelmen had a career-high 30 points, scoring 21 in the second half
• Uelmen had 11 of the Hawks final 16 points
• The game featured 20 lead changes, with neither team leading by more than seven points
• NoDak has scored 79 or more points in seven consecutive games
• UND is 8-3 in its last 11 games
• It is UND's first three-game winning streak overall and on the road for the first time since the 2023-24 season
• The Green and White shot 50.0% for the third time this season
• UND hit at least 10 three pointers for the seventh time this season, improving to 5-2 when hitting 10 or more
• The Hawks are 6-4 this season in games decided by under 10 points, winning their last four in that department
• North Dakota outrebounded Denver 37-31
• UND won the points in the paint battle 36-30
• The Fighting Hawks had 13 points off turnovers compared to 11 from Denver
• Denver had 37 points in the paint compared to 31 from UND
• King had a team-high eight rebounds
• Reggie Thomas tied a career-high with six rebounds

How It Happened
First Half
14:30 UND 13, DU 10
11:33 UND 18, DU 16
6:58 UND 30, DU 30
3:49 DU 40, UND 37
Halftime: DU 46, UND 45
 
Second Half
15:49 UND 58, DU 53
11:26 DU 64, UND 62
8:00 DU 72, UND 69
3:57 DU 78, UND 77
Final: UND 93, DU 86

For more information on North Dakota men's basketball, visit FightingHawks.com or follow on social media @UNDmbasketball.
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